DCI Dredge XIX. Fair Winds. Ballast Squeeze COMPLEX INSIDES COMPOSITE CONSUMMATE BEAT THE BOTTLENECK. SBI 2012 volume 6 ISSue 6

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1 THE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SHIPBUILDING, SHIP REPAIR AND MARINE SUPPLY INDUSTRY SBI 2012 volume 6 ISSue 6 DCI Dredge XIX COMPLEX INSIDES Fair Winds COMPOSITE CONSUMMATE Ballast Squeeze BEAT THE BOTTLENECK

2 Abis Dover & Abis Dublin Sharp Shipbuilding ABIS DOVER & ABIS DUBLIN BUILDER OWNER Shipkits Abis Shipping 44 ShipBuilding Industry Volume 6 Issue 6

3 The northern Netherlands maritime cluster is making a name for itself. Awardwinning Abis Shipping is at the heart of the movement building smart ships that break new ground with sensible why didn t I think of that solutions. In September the company s fleet expanded with new builds Abis Dover and Abis Dublin tailored to a burgeoning market. T he Netherlands-based ship owner Abis Shipping is no stranger to wind technology. Recently in the Bay of Biscay, the brand new Abis Dover passed within a nautical mile of a vessel from the fleet s B-Series, the Abis Breskens, laden with wind turbine blades and nacelles. As the Abis Breskens steamed toward the North Sea, another B-Series vessel, the Abis Bergen passed astern, heading from Hartlepool back to Vlissingen to collect Teesside wind farm transition pieces for Van Oord. The following day one of Abis Shipping s C-Series vessels departed the Spanish port El Ferrol with wind turbine towers destined for Romania. With good reason, Abis Shipping wanted its new 6,500dwt D-series vessels Abis Dover and Abis Dublin designed with wind technology in mind specifically offshore wind. ShipBuilding Industry spoke to Abis Shipping s Director Operations Feico Hoogeveen responsible for the design and engineering of Abis Shipping s new build programme, as well as the technical management for the fleet. Fleet Anniversary In September in the northern Dutch Port of Harlingen, Abis Dover was christened by Marianne Vossenberg, partner of Bart van der Meer, Director of the Noordelijke Participatiemaatschappij. The Abis Dublin was christened by Willemien Dijkstra-van Eck, spouse of Biense Dijkstra, Director of Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma. At the event, the young shipping company celebrated not only the naming of its two new builds, but also took the opportunity to celebrate its fifth year in operation. The two new vessels of new series expanded Abis Shipping s fleet to fourteen, which includes six 3,900dwt vessels of the B-series design winner of the prestigious Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR) Shipping Award in Abis Dover completed her maiden voyage in September and has already criss-crossed the North Sea, English Channel and Atlantic Coast on charter for Amasus Shipping. Until December the Abis Dublin remains at the Harlingen harbour yard where builder Shipkits is completing the outfitting of the hull. Wind Factor While Mr Hoogeveen is keen to highlight that the fleet undertakes a wide variety of roles from dry bulk to container short sea shipping, there is no doubt that offshore and offshore wind were the leading factors in Abis Shipping s new build investment. We were looking for a design with lots of square metres, DP system and the most steady behaviour when discharging at sea, Mr Hoogeveen reveals. Offshore wind is a focus, but of course we re capable of doing a lot more. We can transport big items and sail with open hatches. Designed by Dutch naval architects Vuyk Engineering Groningen, the two vessels are of the VG 6000 E type. Jaguar Shipping s MV Jaguar, the first of three identical VG 6000-type vessels, is also under charter for Amasus. The multipurpose special cargo vessels are destined for worldwide trade and unrestricted service. The vessels needed to be reliable easy to maintain without specialist service. Not to mention, the vessels had to be flexible to handle multipurpose roles. The design combined existing tried and tested and already type-approved components into a unique integrated system. Abis Dover and Abis Dublin are built entirely of standard industry components a truck mechanic would feel at home in their engine rooms. Each vessel has two engine rooms equipped with three 500kW generators (total 6 x 500 kw per vessel). The Scania 16 litre 4-stroke marine diesel engines power two independent propulsion power systems, port and starboard. DC Firsts Among the D-series many innovative solutions, the DC bus diesel-electric power system stands out. The vessels are among the first operational commercial vessels to use DC current. Alewijnse Marine Systems was responsible for the design, installation and commissioning of the complete electrical installations on board both vessels, including what it describes as the thirdgeneration DC diesel-electric propulsion systems. ShipBuilding Industry Volume 6 Issue 6 45 >

4 Decorated Ships Bureau Veritas issued the following notations for class and statutory certificates on behalf of the Dutch flag to Abis Dover and Abis Dublin: X HULL X MACH General Cargo Vessel Heavy Cargo Occasional dry bulk cargo X AUT-UMS X AVM-DPS DYNAPOS AM/AT IAFS Loadline MARPOL Annex I MARPOL Annex IV Sewage MARPOL Annex VI Air Pollution SOLAS Cargo Ship Safety SOLAS Dangerous Goods International Tonnage Panama & Suez Tonnage 46 ShipBuilding Industry Volume 6 Issue 6 Alewijnse says the success of the first two vessels has been confirmed by further orders for additional ships, and they expect DC diesel-electric systems to become widespread for commercial applications that require high degrees of design and operational versatility along with minimal emissions and fuel consumption. Third Generation In a normal diesel-electric power system, AC-supplying generator sets deliver power to the AC main board. One of the system s main problems is harmonic distortion of frequency and current. Harmonic distortion occurs through nonlinear loads of standard frequency converters, which cause distortion of the electrical current supply. This results, for example, in flickering lights on board, or possibly in black-outs or component overheating problems. These generator sets need an advanced power management system adding cost and bulk. To overcome these harmonic distortion problems, Alewijnse worked with Vacon Benelux the Netherlands-based subsidiary of Finnish drive manufacturer Vacon, to develop a diesel electric system that uses DC current. Vacon designed into the system an AFE (Active Front End) AC/DC rectifier that feeds into a 750V DC bus. A power management system designed and installed by Alewijnse, ensures that the optimum number of generators delivers the correct amount of current at any one time. All main board consumers have a standard industrial DC/AC converter, ensuring the supply of a clean sinusoidal AC current. This solves the harmonic distortion at the start of the system, before the main board, instead of solving the problem at the end, or consumer side, of the electrical system. More Space The DC bus system provides mature technology at prices comparable to the conventional alternatives. These systems are also relatively simple, thereby reducing the possible risk of component failure. Crucially, the DC bus system also has implications for the entire design of a vessel. Reduced engine room size increases hold dimensions. In addition, a larger number of smaller components replacing the traditionally fewer and much larger pieces of machinery frees up the naval architects from a major constraint. Instead of propeller shafts, the propulsive power comes from steerable Z-drive thrusters. For her 107m length, the D-series has an exceptionally large box hold at 80 m. Her flexible hatch arrangements offer virtually every possibility from 266 TEUs to vertical cargo open top. Mr Hoogeveen notes that while the B-series can transport two 28m, 300t transition pieces in its open top hold, the D-series can carry four easily. Sea Discharges

5 Thanks to their DP capabilities, Abis Dover and Abis Dublin can position close to jack-up vessels. With stable seakeeping designed specifically for North Sea conditions, the vessels have almost no roll in operating conditions. Rolling is the factor that is most important when discharging at sea, Mr Hoogeveen says. He notes that the design is optimised for working in the same weather windows that offshore EPCI companies face. We looked carefully at the requirements of the installation companies. It s no use to try discharging in rough weather when cranes on board installation vessels are not able to work. That close cooperation with installers is also reflected in the vessels lack of offshore crane. Mr Hoogeveen says that the crane was quickly excluded from the design specifications. A crane is always available on the installation platforms. So on a transport vessel, it just becomes an obstruction. Without a crane, we also keep the vessels as flexible as possible for both parties in regards to the heading of the vessel approaching the jack-up vessel. Highlighting the possibilities in commercial deployment, the D-series figures in a novel offshore wind turnkey package. In collaboration with Deugro Denmark and Conquest Offshore, Amasus Shipping developed a feeder system for wind turbine components as well as the transport (with the D-series) and installation of components and foundations. E- Series With the Abis Shipping fleet now at fourteen vessels from four series, Mr Hoogeveen smiles when asked about plans for a fifth series the E-series. Although there are no concrete plans, Abis Shipping is investigating the possibilities. One thing is certain they won t be built in China. China is out of the question at the moment, he says. I think many ship owners are thinking the same way. Mr Hoogeveen speaks from experience, as some of Abis Shipping s B-series and the C-series were built in China. He says the builds there were much more difficult to manage. Of course, China is cheap in the first place, but at the end of the day when you look at maintenance and not to mention resale value, it s just not profitable. Maybe in the really big ships where the amount of steel can really make a difference, but in the 6,000-10,000 dwt range, I say stay in West Europe. Mr Hoogeveen is also wary about converting to LNG propulsion. LNG in our opinion, it s still quite far away. The limited options for bunkering is the main factor at the moment. If you believe all the stories, then maybe in a few years that will change. However, engine development also still has a long way to go. Facts & Figures Principal Particulars Length o.a m Beam m Depth 8.45 m Draught max m Hold 80 x 12 x 9,8m Deadweight 6,000 t Installed power 3,000 kw Hull speed 14 knots Main Suppliers & Subcontractors Alewijnse Marine Systems Electrical installation B.V. Technisch Bureau Uittenbogaart Gearboxes, turbo bilgewater separator, vacuum toilet system, winches, watertight sliding doors, musketeer doors and escape hatches, tank vent check valves, sewage treatment plant Bureau Veritas Classification Caldic Techniek BV Stamford generators Centraal Staal Steel package Cofely Engine room parts and mechanical installation Coops & Nieborg Hatches Datema Safety and nautical equipment Delftship Marine Software loading computer Gebr. De Haan HVAC Hatecke Lifeboats and cranes Helmers Furnishing International Paint Paint system Intersona Noise and vibration consultancy and sea trial measurements Kroon B.V. Kroon locks and hardware L3 Dynamic positioning system Materiaal Metingen Europa Gangway Minimax CO 2 installation MME Impressed current system Orlaco Camera system Reikon Azcue pumps, Gefico freshwater generator Sam Electronics Navigational and communication equipment Sandfirden Technics Generator sets SEC Bremen Container fittings SEC Groningen Deck equipment Theunissen Technical Trading BV Eltek fire detection and Pesch Seematz searchlights Trinoxx BOHAMET Windows and portholes Vacon Benelux BV AC drives Vuyk Engineering Design and complete engineering ZF Marine Rudder propellers and bow thruster i. Further Reading For a full report on the wind farm turnkey package featuring the Abis Shipping D-Series vessels, see the July/August issue of ShipBuilding Industry s sister publication Offshore Industry (volume 5, issue 4). Offshore wind is a focus, but of course we ve capable of doing a lot more. Feico Hoogeveen, Abis Shipping Director Operations ShipBuilding Industry Volume 6 Issue 6 47 <